A scraping device for a rotary press comprising at least one scraping element for scraping pellets located on a die plate of the rotary press to an outlet, wherein the at least one scraping element has at least one identification and/or position unit having identification and/or position data relating to the at least one scraping element, and wherein the scraping device further comprises a read and/or write unit which is designed to communicate with the at least one identification and/or position unit in order to read the identification and/or position data from the at least one identification and/or position unit. The invention also relates to a rotary press and a corresponding method.

A line for producing a cast film is disclosed having a slot die, a chill roll, an electrode assembly, an insulator assembly, a sensor device, and a control device. The electrode assembly is arranged between an impingement area of the cast film on the chill roll and a removal area. The insulator assembly is arranged between the electrode assembly and the chill roll shell. The sensor device continuously determines the left and right cast film edge. According to the determined left and right cast film edge the control device moves the insulator assembly in such a way that the insulator assembly is arranged: a) between the left end face of the chill roll and the left cast film edge; and b) between the right end face of the chill roll and the right cast film edge.

An apparatus (100) for depositing a radius filler (102), made of a homogeneous material, into a groove (104), formed in a workpiece (106) comprises a chassis (110), first means (120) for extruding the radius filler (102) along an extrusion axis (112), second means (130) for providing the homogeneous material to the first means (120), and third means (140) for compacting the radius filler (102) in the groove (104). The apparatus (100) also comprises a first sensor (150) configured to provide first-sensor output. The apparatus (100) further comprises a controller (180), operatively coupled to the first means (120), the second means (130), and the first sensor (150). Based on the first-sensor output, the controller (180) is configured to determine the first geometric characteristics of the groove (104). In addition, based on the first geometric characteristics, the controller (180) is configured to control second geometric characteristics of the radius filler (102), extruded by the first means (120), as the tool center point (122) is moved relative to the groove (104).

In a measuring arrangement for determining properties of a material to be extruded while an extrusion process is being carried out in an extruder, at least one extruder screw is rotatably mounted in a tubular guide in a barrel and is connected to a rotary drive. Material to be extruded is fed to the tubular guide at one end and is removed as finish-extruded material at an oppositely arranged discharge. Arranged at measuring positions at predeterminable defined intervals on the wall of the tubular guide along the longitudinal axis of the extruder screw are multiple first sound transducers, which are designed for the detection of sound waves that are generated during the extrusion process by the extrusion process as process noises and/or are emitted by a second sound transducer, arranged at one end of the tubular guide, in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the extruder screw and into the material to be extruded that is conveyed through a mixing chamber present in the tubular guide.

A system for depositing a composite filler material into a channel of a composite structure includes an end-effector configured to extrude a bead of the filler material into the channel. The filler material can comprise a first group of relatively long fibers, a second group of relatively short fibers and a resin. A drive system is configured to move the end-effector relative to the channel, and a position sensor is configured to detect the position of the bead relative to the channel. A controller is configured to operate the drive system in response to the detected position and to operate the end-effector to heat and compress the filler material so as to orient the longer fibers in a substantially longitudinal direction relative to the channel and the shorter fibers in substantially random directions relative to the channel when the bead is extruded into the channel.

A system for depositing a composite filler material into a channel of a composite structure includes an end-effector configured to extrude a bead of the filler material into the channel. The filler material can comprise a first group of relatively long fibers, a second group of relatively short fibers and a resin. A drive system is configured to move the end-effector relative to the channel, and a position sensor is configured to detect the position of the bead relative to the channel. A controller is configured to operate the drive system in response to the detected position and to operate the end-effector to heat and compress the filler material so as to orient the longer fibers in a substantially longitudinal direction relative to the channel and the shorter fibers in substantially random directions relative to the channel when the bead is extruded into the channel.

Disclosed is a method to determine a dimension of a filament in a material extrusion additive manufacturing process, the method including: illuminating a moving filament with an optical LED light source emitting light with a wavelength between 495 and 570 nanometers; detecting an output value corresponding to an edge of the moving filament at specific points with a CMOS sensor; and processing the output value in a signal processor to determine the dimension of the filament at specific points, then passing the filament through an extrusion head, and then depositing a plurality of layers of extruded filament material in a preset pattern and fusing the plurality of layers of extruded filament material to form a three dimensional article.

A device for measuring a strand that is tubular includes a first radiation source to emit terahertz radiation in a first measurement region from an inside onto an inner surface of the strand. A first radiation receiver receives terahertz radiation reflected by the strand in a second measurement region. A first evaluation apparatus determines at least one geometric parameter of the strand in the first measurement region. A second radiation source emits terahertz radiation in the second measurement region from an outside onto an outer surface of the strand. A second radiation receiver receives terahertz radiation reflected by the strand in the second measurement region. A second evaluation apparatus determines at least one geometric parameter of the strand in the second measurement region. A third evaluation apparatus determines a change in the at least one geometric parameter of the strand between the first and second measurement regions.

A thermoplastic composite structure is produced by extruding a bead of composite material to a desired cross sectional shape. An extruder extrudes the polymer bead containing reinforcing fibers, using a low compression first extruder stage where the polymer is mixed and de-gassed, and a high compression second stage where the polymer is consolidated and extruded. The cross sectional profile of the polymer bead may be altered using a variable extruder gate.

A thermoplastic composite structure is produced by extruding a bead of composite material to a desired cross sectional shape. An extruder extrudes the polymer bead containing reinforcing fibers, using a low compression first extruder stage where the polymer is mixed and de-gassed, and a high compression second stage where the polymer is consolidated and extruded. The cross sectional profile of the polymer bead may be altered using a variable extruder gate.